The influence of the stability or weakness of the Safavid government on road safety and road system performance

 This article looks at the state of roads and the road system from the beginning to the end of the Safavid era. In response to the question of what effect the stability or weakness of the central government had on the safety of the roads and the performance of the road system in this period, the hypothesis is raised that because in this period, especially since the time of Shah Abbas I Safavid, the policy of facilitating commercial affairs was at the top The plans of the government were in place, paying attention to the construction and repair of trade and caravan routes and ensuring their security has been a priority more than before.This research was done with the historical method and explanation-analytical approach and using historical texts and some travelogues of this period. The findings of the research show that ensuring the security of the roads has been the main concern of the central government for the commercial prosperity and economic development of Iran. Therefore, people were appointed as highwaymen along the routes and in Shahbandar at the entrance of the ports, whose performance was always affected by the stability or weakness of the central government, and in addition to providing security and protection to travelers and merchants, they received fees from them and as intermediaries They were between the government and the passengers.